No, it’s not a giant keg of ale, or a cask of the latest Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s a 7.5-metre long steel shaft that weighs 80 tonnes and will be used to connect the magnetized rotor to the fifth turbine at Mica Dam. The shaft was manufactured by Andritz Hydro in Ravensburg, Germany. Once installed, waterpower will spin the turbine and rotor at spees of 133 rpm, according to BC Hydro. The turbine shaft was transported to Revelstoke via CP Rail and will be taken up to Mica Dam by truck once road conditions are suitable. The fifth turbine is expected to arrive this summer and be operational in 2014.
What's inside the box? It's not the world's largest keg. It's another massive piece of equipment for Mica Dam's fifth generating unit – a steel shaft that is about 7.5 metres long and weighs 80 tonnes.
Photo: What’s inside the box?
BC Hydro prepares to transport the latest piece of massive equipment for its Mica Dam 5 & 6 turbine project.
